Snubbed spring nest



Patented Jan. 16, 1934 STATES PATENT orrics SNUBBED SPRING NEST Application August 5, 1930. Serial No. 473,268

14 Claims. (Cl. 267-4) The invention relates to railway truck springs, particularly of the helical type arranged in groups or nests, and has for its principal object the provision of an improvement upon the arrangement and construction disclosed in the co-pending application of Percy R. Drenning for patent for Truck springs filed February 6, 1930 and given Serial No. 426,385.

In said co-pending application it is pointed out that it is an object of the invention covered thereby to provide a truck spring group or nest embodying a plurality of helical springs coordinated to give adequate support for all loads and possessing characteristics as to capacity, travel and periodicity to prevent synchronism of vibration and thereby break up any tendency of the assembly to jiggle.

In order to obtain a proper view as to the difficulties encountered, various remedies therefor, etc., it will probably be necessary to refer to said co-pending application wherein there is disclosed a spring arrangement embodying a plurality of groups of springs, certain of which may come into play simultaneously or sequentially, and certain of which cooperate with an extraneous pressure applying means.

In said co-pending application there is disclosed an'arrangement including a plurality or series of truck springs in which one or more may be subjected to an initial compression so as not to come into play until all have become fully compressed or deflected, or at least partially deflected.

Said co-pending application discloses the idea of providing a spring nest including a plurality of helical springs one or more of which is snubbed or held under a certaininitial compression. Furthermore said application shows such snubbed spring as having its own individual end caps, both of which are connected by adjustable tension producing means and the lower one of which is necessarily positively connected with the lower cap of the spring nest in order to maintain the parts in the proper relative position for accomplishing the results desired.

The real object, though a limited one, of the present invention is to provide a truck spring assembly or nest in which there is provided means other than soldering, spot welding or the like, for positively securing or fastening the lower member of the assembly with'respect to the spring suspension means.

A still more specific object is to provide an arrangement or construction wherein the bottom cap of the spring nest is apertured and offset upwardly so as to receive the bottom individual cap of the spring which is held under initial compression, it being of course distinctly understood that in the event of the employment of a plurality of such initially compressed springs, corre- 69 same it is suggested that reference be had to the above mentioned co-pending application wherein all the broad objects and most of the minor or subsidiary ones of the present invention are set forth, or/and to my application for patent for snubbed truck springs, filed July 1, 1930 and given Serial No. 465,182, the application of myself and Percy R. Drenning for patent for Combined spring and absorption means, filed February 24, 1930 and given Serial No. 430,870, and the application of Howard T. Casey for patent for Snubbed truck spring nests, filed July 9, 1930 and given Serial No. 466,807, inasmuch as all of said applications disclose a unit of one sort or another having individual end caps which must be secured to the lower cap of the spring nest.

A further object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this character in which the only modification necessary is embodied in the bottom spring cap of the nest, the upper one being unchanged and of entirely normal construction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a spring nest of this character which will be just as simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble as one of the ordinary variety, which will be efficient in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a modified spring nest embodying a single unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and that embodied in the application above identified,

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional View taken diagonally through the nest or along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 which extends from corner to Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have shown the spring nest as comprising upper and lower caps 10 and 11 between which are located spring units indicated as a whole by the numeral 12. For a forty or sixty ton car, it is probably sumcient that four spring units be provided whereas for a car of higher capacity, say from eighty to one hundred and twenty tons, it may be necessary to provide an added number of spring units, it being quite common to provide five and even more. It is of course apparent that each unit 12 may consist of single or double coils though in the present instance, as in the copending application above referred to, each is represented as including outer and inner helical coils 13 and 14 respectively, the former being of much heavier stock than the latter and the latter having a less free height than the former. In other words, these units 12 are intended to be herein disclosed as of the Norfolk and Western type though it should be distinctly understood that there is no particular limitation in this respect, it being readily conceivable that single springs may be employed instead of the double ones if such should be found preferable for any reason whatsoever.

The upper cap 10 is of conventional pattern and is provided centrally with a depressed portion 15 through which extends a bolt 16 which also extends through a depressed central portion 17 in the lower cap and which is equipped with a nut 18 for the purpose of maintaining the caps and the spring units in the proper relative relation and for preventing displacement thereof. Furthermore the caps 10 and 11 are shown as provided at appropriately spaced points with apertures surrounded by inwardly extending beads or flanges 19 which project into the ends of the inner springs 14 and which therefore operate to bring about the desired centering action on the latter so that they will remain always in concentric relation to the outer springs 13 of the units. In view of the fact that the outer springs 13 are in closely embracing relation to the inner springs 14 they will be similarly centered.

The assembly is also represented as including a unit 20 which may be conveniently described as snubbed in that it comprises a coil or helix 21 provided at its ends with individual caps 22 and i 23 extending thereinto and connected by a bolt 24 equipped with a nut 25 which is turned down to a sufficient extent to compress the coil 21 to the desired extent so that the upper individual cap 22 will be normally spaced below the upper cap 10 of the assembly so that the unit 20 will not come into play until the regular or standard spring units 12 have been compressed to a certain predetermined extent, all in accordance with the principles laid down in said co-pending application.

Upon reference to said co-pending application it will be observed that the lower cap of the modified unit or units rests upon and. is secured to the lower cap of the nest as by spot welding. Spot welding is never absolutely certain and it is conceivable that after a prolonged period of time during which the expansive action of the modified unit such as that shown at 20 tends to tear away the lower cap from the bottom cap of the nest the individual bottom cap of the modified unit may become detached. It is consequently a very important feature of the present invention to obviate this possibility and I have accomplished this by providing the bottom cap 11 at each modified unit with an upwardly ofiset portion 26 formed with an opening 27 for the passage of the upstanding central portion of the individual bottom cap 23 so that the outstanding flange of the latter will be located beneath this offset portion and be positively prevented from any upward movement regardless of the degree of upward force exerted upon this lower individual cap 23 by the expansive action of the helix 21. Briefly, it may be said that the present invention has the same objects as those in said co-pendingapplication with the addition or specific object of providing the peculiar and novel means for effecting anchoring of the lower individual cap of the modified unit or units to the bottom cap of the nest.

In effecting assembly, it is of course apparent that the units 12 are assembled in the customary manner inasmuch as there is nothing peculiar about their construction. In assembling the unit 20 with respect to the others, it is of course equally apparent that the bottom individual cap 23 must be inserted from the bottom and up through the opening 2'7, the helix 21 being later engaged about the guide member 23, the upper member 22 being then applied and the bolt 24 inserted with its nut 25 turned down to the desired extent for effecting compression of the helix 21. The nest having been assembled in this manner it is of course placed in the window opening of the side frame of a truck in the usual manner, there being nothing at all distinctive or peculiar in this respect. 1.15

In the operation, it is of course apparent that under normal or light load conditions the similar units 12, of standard design, will suffice to cushion ordinary loads. When the load increases to such an extent that the various units 12 are comif, pressed entirely or to a degree approaching entire compression, the snubbed or initially compressed unit 20 will come into play for taking care of an unusual load, either physical or kinetic In other words if the units 12 should start to oscillate or vibrate, for instance in synchronism with passage of the car wheels over low spots in the rail over joints, etc., the bouncing or jiggling effect will shortly cause the upper spring nest cap 10 to engage against the upper individual cap 22 of i the modified or snubbed unit. When this occurs it is readily apparent that the oscillating or up and down moving tendency of the various spring units will be quickly checked on account of the difference in the period of vibration of the 12,} standard units and the snubbed unit. This checking will very promptly break up any tendency of the car to jiggle to any material extent and as this jiggling may be a forerunner or accompaniment of the development of side sway it 139 is quite clear that the car equipped with this mechanism or supporting structure will be adequately protected. It should now, as before, be distinctly understood that I am not claiming to be the originator of the broad principles involved 1'35 in this particular disclosure, my contribution to the development of the art consisting primarily in the novel means for mounting the modified unit upon the bottom cap of the nest. It is really believed that the construction, operation and ad- 4 vantages should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exempli- 145 fication of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the 150 ill Pin

spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a railway car truck cushioning mechanism, a spring nest comprising upper and lower caps, a plurality of standard spring units arranged between the caps for supporting normal loads, a modified spring unit located between the caps and adapted to become energized subsequently to the energization of the standard units, guide means at the lower end of the modified unit, separate and distinct from the lower cap, and means for interengaging said guide means with the lower cap of the nest in flush relation thereto for preventing relative displacement.

2. In a railway car truck spring assembly, the combination of a spring nest having upper and lower caps with an interposed series of similar springs adapted to support light or normal loads, a snubbed or initially compressed spring unit located between said caps and equipped with connected individual caps, and means on the lower cap of the snubbed unit interengaged with the bottom cap of the assembly for preventing relative vertical movement, the lower individual cap being detachable from the lower one of the first named caps and having its bottom surface flush therewith.

3. Cushioning means for a railway car truck comprising a nest having upper and lower caps with a plurality of interposed spring units, and an additional interposed spring unit held under initial compression between individual upper and lower caps, the lower one of which has a positive but detachable connection with the lower cap of the nest within the confines thereof.

4. Cushioning means for a railway car truck comprising a nest having upper and lower caps with a plurality of interposed springs units, and an additional interposed spring unit held under initial compression between individual upper and lower caps, the lower one of which has a positive connection with the lower cap of the nest, said lower cap of the nest having an upwardly offset portion apertured to accommodate the lower individual cap of saidadditional unit.

5. In a railway car truck suspension means, a spring nest including upper and lower caps having a plurality of standard springs interposed therebetween, and a modified spring unit located between said caps and having its ends equipped with individual caps connected for maintaining the modified unit under initial compression, the lower cap of the nest being upwardly offset and apertured to receive the lower individual cap of the modified unit, said lower individual cap having an outstanding flange engaged beneath said upwardly oiiset portion.

6. In a railway car truck, supporting means for the truck bolster including a nest comprising upper and lower caps with a plurality of interposed truck springs therebetween, and a modified unit including upper and lower individual caps with a coil spring interposed therebetween, the lower cap of the nest having an upwardly ofiset portion apertured to receive the lower cap of the modified unit and to prevent the same from upward movement with respect to the upper cap of the nest.

'7. A cushion spring assembly comprising upper and lower caps, a plurality of springs interposed between the caps, and a modified spring unit interposed between the caps and including a coil equipped at its ends with individual caps, means connecting said individual caps for maintaining the modified unit under initial compression, the bottom cap of the assembly or nest having an upwardly offset portion provided with an opening through which the bottom individual cap is insertable upwardly.

8. In a spring assembly, main caps, a coil spring located therebetween, individual caps on the ends of the coil spring, and means detachably connecting one of said individual caps with the adjacent main cap, said one individual cap being fiush with the outer surface of the main cap to which it is connected.

9. In a spring assembly, main caps, a coil spring interposed therebetween and equipped at its ends with connected individual caps, and means connecting one of said individual caps with the adjacent main cap for preventing relative vertical movement, the individual cap having a portion lying beneath and within the adjacent main cap.

10. In a railway truck spring assembly, main caps, a coil spring unit interposed therebetween and equipped with individual caps having outstanding fianges, one main cap having an ofiset portion apertured to receive the adjacent individual cap with the flange thereof engaging within the offset portion.

11. In a railway truck spring assembly, main caps, a coil spring located therebetween and equipped at its ends with individual caps each including a guide portion entering the spring and further including an outstanding fiange portion, one main cap having an offset portion apertured to receive the guide portion of one individual cap with the flange portion thereof engaging within said oiiset portion.

12. In a spring assembly, main caps, spring means interposed therebetween, a coil spring located between the main caps, individual caps on the ends of the coil spring, means connecting said individual caps, and means for connecting one of said individual caps to the adjacent main cap in fiush relation thereto.

13. A spring assembly comprising main caps, spring means interposed therebetween, a coil spring located between the main caps, individual caps on the ends of said coil spring, one of said individual caps passing through the adjacent main cap and having its outer surface flush therewith.

14. In a spring assembly, main caps having spring means interposed therebetween, a coil spring located between said main caps, connected individual caps on the ends of said coil spring, and means on only one individual cap and the adjacent main cap for locking the same together.

THOMAS H. SYMINGTON. 

